Morning journal and courier., 1887-10-03
THE EANDOVRR CONTROVERSY.

CEHTS A W XXX, OU GENTS nON1hs So'oo a
 YEAR. THE SAME TERMS BY MAIL.
 Monday, October B. 1887.
 THE ANDOVER CONTROVERSY.
 Professor Park and the Famous
 Smvth Brothers-The Personal Feel.
 Ing in the Andover COAtroversy-In-
 ner History of the War.
 ANDovER, Oct. 1.-There is never 8 land
 slide in New England theology which does
 not shake every minister's study in the land.
 When, however, there is an earthquake, as
 in the present Andover controversy, even the
 sturdiest agnostic looks up from his work to
 measure the wave and to watch things tum-
 ble.
 Two men are foremost in this attempt to
 make teacher and creed a good fit. The man
 forces of the old orthodoxy, though he is not
 the field captain. The man under fire for
 alleged heresy, on the contrary, was once on
 the list of extreme New England old school
 men. Overshadowing is the presence of
 these men in the forces on either side. In fact, composite picture of the conservatives would show enough of the features of Prof Edwards A. Park to identify him. while
 Prof. Egbert 0. Smyth's strong face would look out of the other picture. Professor Smyth is brother of the Rev. Mr. Newman Smyth of New Haven, and un- til the nomination of the younger brother to be professor at Andover was rejected, Professor Egbert, as he is familiarly ce'led, was not associated in the popular mind with liberal views in theology. When member of the Bowdoin college faculty, as is report ed by men who were students in that insti- tuition at the time, the teacher now charged with heresy was counted an old school theo- logian and rigid adherent of conservatism in doctrine and worship.
 Professor Smyth married 8 daughter Of | the Rev. Dr. Dwight of Portland, Me. Dr. \ Dwight was famous for his courtly persist ence in defending old school positions, and 1 his unfinehing determination to walk in the old paths.
 Thus Prof. Egbelt in his predilections and environment was fairly committed to the rigid system of old time New England theo1 ogy.
 His brother Newman's writings, however,
 and chiefly this brothers rejection, may properly be reckoned prominent factors in his remarkable change of opinion. The pro- lessor comes naturally by this readiness to champion the cause of his flesh and blood.
 His father, Prof. William 5myth of Bow- doin college, eminent mathematician, was sturdy defender of his rather lively boys when they were students. It is well I understood and reported by men who were at Bowdoin that the Smyth boys were al- ways sure of one advocate in the faculty l meetings when a case of discipline was up. The old professors pride in his sons, his ten der heart, his fiery eloquence, his ingenious pleas, always had great weight with the oth- CT members of the faculty. They may have felt sure that the sportive Smyths were in the scrape, but they dis liked to trouble the great hearted teacher, who could not believe anything but good of his boys.
 It is easy to see in Prof. Egbert defending the new theology which his brother has done so much to formulate the spirit of the father
 as he walked up and down in faculty meet
 ings and with sledge- hammer gestures en-
 forced the proposition that whoever was guilty his sons were above such business e3 hazing.
 It would be a mistake to think of Prof.
 Egbert as man who does not do his own thinking. On the contrary he is patient, comprehensive, open-eyed in his survey of theological propositions and strong in pre- senting arguments. But the hand of perse- cution, as he counts it, laid on his brother unquestionably gave his intellect a mighty
 impulse toward the new departure.
 The personal equation in his case must not
 be left out of the account, though if Prof. Smyth admitted that he had been influenced
 by his brother he would naturally argue that
 the effect had been indirect and wrought up-
 on him when he wes not conscious of the in
 huence.
 Put into brief space, what has here been
 said means that if Newman Smytn had not
 written in the vein which has made him
 noteworthy, and if his appointment pre- lessor had not been rejected, Prof. Egbert's part in the Andover controversy might have been different and perhaps much less promi- nent.
 But if the central figure in the forces on one side in the Andover controversy be in fuenced by his personal feelings to strik ing degree, the personal equation must like wise be considered in dealing with the most sagscious and determined man among the conservatives, namely, Prof. Edwards A. Park. This stalwart champion of the move ment against the Andover professors no longer teaches in Andover seminary because of his venerable age, but his eye is not yet dim nor his natural force abated. He is the Rufus Choate among New England ministers, | with no limit to his resources as an expert in the persuasive use of English. | It ought to be said bluntly that Professor Park has disliked Professor Smyth from the | time the latter joined the seminary staff, ! about quarter of century ago. It is not denied that Professor Park told two of the trustees at the time of Professor Smyth's election, and with the utmost contempt, that \ they had made blunder. The young pro | lessor as therefore "sat upon" by Professor Park from the very outset. In every way Professor Smyth's work was underrated or \ laughed at In short, it is an extraordinary | instance of the capacity of religious teach \ CT to play the politicians part. Nothing but ! Professor Smyth's grim determination car | ried him through the earlier years of his ser ! vice as seminary professor, and nothing \ more clearly shows his staying power. He ! would have died in his tracks before he would have allowed Professor Park to drive ' him away.
 \ When Newman Smyth's appointm ent as professor at Andover was under consideration Prof. Park saw a good chance to get in 8 blow | at Prof. Egbert. Who but Prof. Park could have suggested to the board of visitors that the rejection of Newman Smyth be based on
 the novel and contemptuous ground that his poetic temperament rendered him unfit to
 teach theology, as if the younger Smyth were \ a romantic girl.
 The manner of shutting out his brother
 must have annoyed Prof. Egbert more than
 the mere fact of his exclusion.
 ! Back of the prosecution of the professors,
 back of the prudential committee differences, I so far as Prof. Smyrh is concerned, back of ! the whole battle line of the conservatives in
 the American board fight, is Prof. Park, though no one not ill the inner circle put his finger on the moves he has suggested. He ! is everywhere in this fight, and yet it is hard | to place him at given point long enough for an instantaneous photograph. Is it wonder then that with two such | leaders and with this history of long and almost ferocious antagonism the Andover ! controversy has been bitter beyond words? ! If Prof. Smyth comes out ahead in this \ fight it means that at last he has fairly beat en Prof. Park at his own game and on An dover Hill.
 On the other hand the overthrow of Prof.
 Smyth, no matter how else the success is